What books are similar to Maniac Magee?

The 10 closest matches to Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli on ReadingList include Wonder, Bud, Not Buddy, Frindle, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and Crash. Each is scored on shared themes (race, homelessness, and family), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–7), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Maniac Magee reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–7), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.

How does ReadingList choose similar books?

Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Books like Maniac Magee

If you liked Maniac Magee, read Wonder, Bud, Not Buddy, or Frindle — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: Wonder by R.J. Palacio — shares family

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Looking for books like Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (Middle Grade Fiction · 820L · grades 4–7)? It’s most often read for its themes of race, homelessness, and family. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 4–7 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Wonder790L: Shares themes of family, both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+14 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Bud, Not Buddy950L: Shares themes of race and family, both on the Dorothy Canfield Fisher / Vermont Golden Dome Book Award list (+8 more shared lists), and a close reading level (950L vs 820L). Amazon → books like this →
Frindle830L: Both on the Massachusetts Children's Book Award list (+7 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (830L vs 820L). Amazon → books like this →
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH790L: Shares themes of family, both on the Mark Twain Readers Award list (+4 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Crashgrades 3–8: Is by Jerry Spinelli, the same author, both on the Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) list (+3 more shared lists), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Matilda840L: Both on the Massachusetts Children's Book Award list (+6 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (840L vs 820L). Amazon → books like this →
Losergrades 4–6: Is by Jerry Spinelli, the same author, shares themes of family, and both on the Vermont Golden Dome Book Award list (+2 more shared lists). Amazon → books like this →
Out of My Mind700L: Shares themes of family, both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+7 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Blended610L: Shares themes of race and family, both on the Mark Twain Readers Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction). Amazon → books like this →
Pax760L: Both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (760L vs 820L). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Maniac Magee for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey · 720L — Both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+3 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (720L vs 820L).
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary · 750L — Shares themes of family, both on the Hawai'i Nēnē Award list (+2 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary · 860L — Both on the Hawai'i Nēnē Award list (+3 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (860L vs 820L).
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume · 470L — Shares themes of family, both on the North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award list (+2 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).

Books like Maniac Magee for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney · 950L — Shares themes of family, both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+7 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) by Lemony Snicket · 1010L — Shares themes of family, both on the Hawai'i Nēnē Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown · 740L — Shares themes of family, both on the Hawai'i Nēnē Award list (+2 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Holes by Louis Sachar · 660L — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list (+16 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (660L vs 820L).
Restart by Gordon Korman · 730L — Both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+4 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (730L vs 820L).

Books like Maniac Magee for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney · 950L — Shares themes of family, both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+7 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) by Lemony Snicket · 1010L — Shares themes of family, both on the Hawai'i Nēnē Award list (+1 more shared list), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown · 740L — Shares themes of family, both on the Hawai'i Nēnē Award list (+2 more shared lists), and same genre (Middle Grade Fiction).
Holes by Louis Sachar · 660L — Both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list (+16 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (660L vs 820L).
Restart by Gordon Korman · 730L — Both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+4 more shared lists), same genre (Middle Grade Fiction), and a close reading level (730L vs 820L).

Books like Maniac Magee for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas · 590L — Shares themes of race and family, both on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award list (+4 more shared lists), and a close reading level (590L vs 820L).
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green · 850L — Both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+5 more shared lists) and a close reading level (850L vs 820L).
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd · 840L — Shares themes of race and family, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (840L vs 820L).
Refugee by Alan Gratz · 800L — Shares themes of family, both on the Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award list (+7 more shared lists), and a close reading level (800L vs 820L).
Black Boy by Richard Wright · 950L — Shares themes of race, both on the Common Core State Standards (ELA) list, and a close reading level (950L vs 820L).

Common questions

What books are similar to Maniac Magee?: The 10 closest matches to Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli on ReadingList include Wonder, Bud, Not Buddy, Frindle, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and Crash. Each is scored on shared themes (race, homelessness, and family), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 4–7), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Maniac Magee reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 4–7), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?: Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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